3D-Printed Medical Devices
Jon Phillips, founder of The Fabricatorz Foundation, is leading the production of 3D printed stethoscopes in St. Louis for Glia, a Canadian medical device manufacturer. Phillips said one part of the stethoscope is a particular tube, which is a common hardware supply. The idea stems from the war-torn Gaza Strip where Phillips said Glia’s founder worked tirelessly to provide healthcare medical devices. Now, the Glia team in Gaza and St. Louis benefit from using 3D printers. One stethoscope costs just $5 to make and sells for $30, and it’s an open source design, meaning it’s shared for anyone in the world to make as the design is publicly accessible. Phillips explained Glia is making open source medical devices to help provide care in places where health care is lacking. Glia is also leading a campaign to mass produce open source 3D printed tourniquets. According to Glia, so far over 1,000 of these have been deployed in the field to treat critical bleeding injuries.
Cedit Science and Technology